WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

T HIS DOCUMENTS INCLUDES RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR USE AND MAINTENANCE OF INDUSTRIAL
FLOORS, DO'S AND DONT'S IN CASE OF UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS AND WARRANTY CLAIM PROCEDURE- do not exceed the service loads specified for the floor in the design;- distribute the loads evenly, as far as practicable (both for loads placed directlyon the floor and on the racks) and in particular avoid placing loads close to
maximum allowable loading value on a part of the slab with the remaining
portion remaining free of any load - this has particularly adverse effect on thefloor performance and can lead to cracking;- when mounting various items on the floor (e.g., machines, equipment, racks,
bump rails, protectors, etc.) do not position their supports at or across joints(sawed joints and leave-in-place joint systems) linking two isolated slabs byanchor bolts, thus preventing freedom of vertical movement with adverse effecton the floor performance and development of cracks as a consequence.

T ABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION AND PERFORMANCE........................................... - 1 1

Concrete floor loading schedule ................................................................................. - 1 -2

Concrete floor performance characteristics, including natural characteristics of theconcrete and floor base .............................................................................................. - 1 -3

Blemishes which may appear after trowelling of concrete floors................................. - 3 -4Final Remarks............................................................................................................. - 4 -OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES ............................................ - 4 5General operation guidelines ...................................................................................... - 4 -PERIODIC INSPECTIONS ........................................................................... - 4 6

Periodic inspections in the warranty period ................................................................ - 4 -DAY-TO-DAY CLEANING ........................................................................... - 4 7

Day-to-day cleaning and maintenance of concrete floors ........................................... - 4 -CARING FOR CONCRETE FLOORS............................................................ - 5 -Fig. 1. Adjacent slabs joined by bump rails - incorrect

W ARRANTY CLAIM AND REPAIR PROCEDURES.......................................... - 5 8

Warranty terms and conditions ................................................................................... - 5 -9Warranty and repair procedures ................................................................................. - 5 -10 Standard method of repair: ......................................................................................... - 5 -PREAMBLE
This document is based on the current engineering knowledge, reports,
publications, own experience and other documents relevant to the operational andfunctional issues, as well as construction technology of concrete floors. Concrete floor
requires particular consideration as a most heavily used part of any civil structure,
exposed to various adverse factors during operation. Being tough and resistant tovarious factors by their very nature, concrete floors are not eternal. Conversely: by
accident or by negligence the floor may become damaged, even irrecoverably to adegree impairing or even preventing its use. Quite the opposite, appropriate use andregular maintenance can significantly extend the service life of the concrete floor.
This document gives do's and dont's, as well as preventive maintenance and, as such, it
becomes the Warranty Document to be included as part of proposals, contracts,
specialty/ detailed drawings and specifications used to construct the industrial/concrete
floors.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND PERFORMANCE
1
Concrete floor loading schedulea) Assuming min. ambient temperature of +15°C the following distributed loads can beapplied on the floor (per 1m2 of the floor surface) before achieving the 28 daycompressive strength (the following values apply to Portland cement mortars andconcrete):up to 30% of the design load capacity – after 3 days
up to 60% of the design load capacity – after 7 days
up to 80% of the design load capacity – after 14 days
up to 100% of the design load capacity – after 28 days
Figs. 2 and 3 Movement of slabs not impaired – correct installation options- do not use cleaning agents not designed for cleaning of floors and avoid spilling
any solutions or liquids.

after 3 days
after 7 days

2

after 14 daysa)after 28 days

For lower temperatures these times must be increased accordingly. If Portland slag
cement is used (CEM III) concrete may achieve full strength after 56 days of curing.
Point loads (from racks and trucks) must not be applied in the first 7-14 days of curing
and after that time the maximum point loads must not exceed half of the values given
above for distributed loads.
b)c)

For imposing erection loads on the floor earlier than 28 days from placement
consult the floor designer. Any erection work to be performed within the floor areain the period of 28 days from placement must be done according to the flooring
contractor instructions.
For optimum service and performance:

Page - 1 - of 7b)c)Concrete floor performance characteristics, including naturalcharacteristics of the concrete and floor baseAny vibratory (dynamic) compaction or pile driving operations must be
discontinued during placement, curing and setting/maturing of concrete, both
inside and outside the building to avoid damaging the fragile and sensitive tovibration concrete matrix (showing up as cracking of the concrete slabs).
When low temperatures occur during placement of the floor and curing of
concrete the Employer/ Client is required to ensure min. temperature of +5°C
in the jobsite area and prevent freezing of the base, structural components andthe floor. Space heating provided by the Employer/ client should not cause
overheating and excessive loss of moisture (in particular do not direct thestream of hot air directly to the floor surface and avoid placing on the floor hot
air blower hoses) or cause carbonation of concrete (exhaust gas must be
removed to the outside of the building). Freezing, excessive loss of moistureand carbonation seriously affect the strength of concrete resulting in damage
to the surface layer of the floor not covered by the contractor's warranty.
Variation in colour and efflorescence - concrete floors are by their nature notuniform in colour particularly during curing stage when complex physical andWARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

chemical processes take place in concrete and due to some level of variation
between concrete deliveries (including differences in aggregate, cement,
uniformity of mixing) and such differences tend to disappear over time.
Similarly, patches of efflorescence may occur as a natural consequence ofusing penetrating sealers which react with the surface layer of concrete
showing up as paler fragments which also tend to disappear as a result of
normal use and cleaning of the floor surface. The same applies to marks leftby the sheeting which, in places, bonded to the surface during curing. Local
variation in colour may also result from applying more penetrating sealant.

Fig. 4 Efflorescence on the concrete floor which emerged during curing
before putting the floor in operation

Fig. 5-6 Crazing ("spider's web" cracking) visible on the floor surfacee)Fig. 5 Marks left by sheeting used in moisture curingd)Crazing - on the surfaces of industrial floors a network of fine surface cracks(resembling a spider’s web) can appear on the surface of concrete or cement
topping. It is a quite common phenomenon, variable in character and while
there are no effective technical counter-measures it does not affect theperformance or the mechanical properties of the floor, as confirmed by BEB(German) and TR34 (British) reports and as such it is not to be considered aflaw or defect. Crazing does not affect the slab construction. One should bearin mind that cleaning agents (even if inert to the floor surface) may increase
the severity of the problem by penetrating into the cracks and widening themover time. Use of appropriate maintenance agents, accepted by the flooring
contractor can minimise the risk of such deterioration. The severity of crazing
depends on the in-service exposure factors, including rapid variations of indoor
temperature and humidity of air and rapid heating up the space soon after floor
installation up to the indoor air temperature specified in the design may
aggravate this phenomenon, producing tight or even open cracks and curlingat the slab edge. Hence it is strongly recommended to consult the flooring
contractor before the first heating up the space after floor installation. Crazing
can be more severe in spaces with higher specified temperature (especially inexcess of 18 Deg. C) and with under floor heating system. Also heavily
trafficked areas can make crazing more evident.

f)

g)

h)

Page - 2 - of 7

The gap opening of floor joints changes due to natural curing shrinkage ofconcrete. For this reason, the material used to seal shrinkage (sawed) joints,
construction joints, expansion joints (made with leave-in-place forms, filled one
year form placement and when the gap opening is the widest) can become
detached from the joint sides or irregular on the surface due to loss of material
which is considered normal and not covered by the warranty. This process isintensified by heavy operation and variation in external factors, for example
moisture as a result of floor cleaning. Perimeter isolation joints (at walls,
around columns, etc.) for which PE foam is specified as final treatment canalso be sealed with an elastic sealant (priced separately). However, due tonatural curing shrinkage of concrete, any loss of material or detaching ofsealant from the perimeter joint sides is not covered by warranty. This isbecause such problems are not due to any design or construction faults.
Development of tight and open cracks as well as some curling at various
places throughout the surface is typical of large area structures such asconcrete floor slabs, whether with or without joints. The areas most prone tosuch problems are located at: columns and joints, thresholds of pedestrian andlarge doors, floor pits and foundations as well as floors on mezzanines/
precast and cast-in-place separating at inductive circuits due to intrinsic
shrinkage of concrete and various and unidentified stresses in the floor
structure which cannot be controlled (according to BEB, Sec. 7, Cracking).
Note that this type of cracking and curling does not affect the structural
performance of the floor and does not indicate any design or construction
defects (according to ACI report No. 302.1R-96 – Guide for Concrete Floor
and Slab Construction). Open cracks should be monitored and action should
be taken only when deterioration of the floor surface has been noted at thecrack (edge spalling). For aesthetic reasons inactive cracks (which do notchange over time) may be repaired with an elastic joint sealant. Cracks which
widen up or propagate which may be accompanied with spalling at edges
should be repaired by routing the crack and then filling the widened cut andspalls with resinous patch. If movement of the crack is expected associatedwith movement of the adjacent slabs the crack can be "stitched" with steel
bars placed across the joint (inserted into pre-drilled holes and adhered withresinous adhesive) as an additional repair measure.
Severe crazing and shrinkage cracks or even deformations are more likely todevelop in floors exposed to dynamic thermal effects caused for example byrapid changes of ambient temperature, exposure to high and low temperatures(for example near boilers and air heaters), working with open flame andcooling of coldroom and deep freeze spaces and in such cases these defects
are not covered by the warranty.
Note that around piers, at docks, floor trenches and foundations the floor isparticularly prone to cracking and other damage due to vibrations andmovements of the structure, even with additional reinforcement in place, andsuch problems should be reasonably expected by the floor user. These
problems are not due to any design or construction faults.

WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

Fig. 8.1 Discolouration – blotch on the floor surface

Fig. 7 Crack running out from the corner of column
i)

j)

k)

l)

3
a)

b)

c)

Faulting of slabs - in floors with joints faulting may develop at joints duringservice life (especially on routes highly trafficked by forklift trucks and othervehicles). This is caused by development of air pockets between the floor slab
and the sub-base primarily due to dynamic action of forklift trucks and othervehicles and subsidence of the base and soil under the floor. Hence, it isimportant that the base has uniform parameters throughout the floor area andis not subject to excessive strain or subsidence throughout the service life of
the floor, whether with or without joints. Subsidence or post-compaction of thefloor base will cause damage to the floor including joint edge spalling anddevelopment of cracks. Defects of this type can be repaired by injecting
cement grout in the pockets under the floor slab (priced separately as theflooring contractor is not responsible for the quality of base and soil-subbase
under the floor).
The hardened surface of the floor is subject to normal wear as a wearing
surface with durability appropriate to the duty. The surface of traffic routes,
warehouse aisles, near pedestrian and large doors and loading docks andother such areas can be wearing faster. As a result, more steel fibres canappear on the surface in these areas (see Sec. 3c) accompanied withincreased crazing (see Sec. 2d). Operation of the floor can also make the joint
sealant look unsightly.
Concrete floors and cement toppings are not resistant to most chemicals.
Chemicals that can be considered aggressive include, without limitation:organic solvents, alkaline and acidic compounds, acids and bases, salts andtheir solutions, chlorides, sulphides and their derivatives, alcohols and glycols,
gases: elementary chlorine, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and oxide,hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen fluoride, as well as oils, fats, sugar, vinegar andother food products. Spilled chemicals and other aggressive substances even
if immediately neutralised and removed from the floor surface can cause
discolouration, stains and in the worst case even pitting and widening of finecracks.
In the case of floors with special parameters such as antielectrostatic, frostresistant and other properties, the floor contractor is responsible for theseparameters only within the limits and under the responsibility of the
manufacturer of the material used / builded into the floor.

Fig. 8.2 marks on the floor from the trowel blades.
d)

In places steel fibre can appear on the concrete surface which is normal for
fibre reinforced floor slabs. The number of fibres visible on the surface canincrease to a different degree due to normal wear and this should not be
considered a design or construction fault. Moreover, moisture can cause
corrosion of such fibres producing rusty stains on the surface.

e)Locally fibres can be plucked out from the surface during cutting of joints
producing small holes which should remain without repair due to superficial
nature of this blemish.
Surface delamination can occur sporadically in which thin (ca. 2 mm thick)flakes of topping become detached from the floor surface. The mechanism of
surface delamination has not been fully understood and probably there are a
few factors behind it, such as non-uniform setting of the concrete. Low
viscosity epoxy resin is injected at the interface to re-attach the piece to baseas a primary repair method. Should this treatment turn to be ineffective afragment of floor is cut out around the spall and filled with cement or resinous
mortar.

Blemishes which may appear after trowelling of concrete floors
The areas at columns, walls, leave-in-place forms, docks, trenches orfoundations are difficult to access by power trowels and have to be finishedby hand, resulting in lesser smoothness and flatness and different hue of thesurface as compared to mechanically trowelled areas of the floor.
Fine grains of topping can be plucked out from the surface during trowelling,which in the finished floor can show up as pitting. Repairing such small
cavities is not recommended as they will not impair normal use of the floor.
Moreover, plucked out aggregate can get under the trowel blades andproduce circular scratches during final trowelling, remaining on the finishedsurface. Blade marks can also appear on the surface. Trowel pattern does
not affect the floor performance and are not considered a critical quality orfunctional defect.
Another specific surface variation caused by trowelling are so-called blotches.
The cause of blotches is variation in the setting time between adjacentportions of the slab. The effect of blotches is limited to colour variation andthey do not affect the performance and functional parameters of the floor and,as such, they to not require any remedial action.

Fig. 9 Blemish caused by steel fibres appearing on the floor surface

f)Page - 3 - of 7

WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

Mechanical damage due to improper operation and/or lack of construction
joint forms is not covered by the warranty and their repairs will be priced
separately.

Fig. 10 Repair of surface delamination with resin injection grout

Fig. 12 Example of mechanical damage – scratches caused, for example bydragging pallets on the surface.
h)

i)
j)

k)
0

Fig. 11 Repair of surface delamination by local replacement of the surface
4
a)

b)

Final Remarks
The blemishes discussed in this section are intrinsic to concrete and slab
structures having a relatively small cross-section in relation to the surface
area and are acceptable in current engineering and construction practice and,as such, they are not covered by the warranty and removing them, if
recommended and practicable, will be priced separately;
Definitions:- Jointless slab is a floor slab divided into panels corresponding to pour areas
with leave-in-place forms (such as EPD) in which the panels are free of sawcut joints.
- Jointed floor - floor slab in which panels corresponding to pour areas,
separated with expansion joint profiles (such as EPD) are additionally subdivided with saw-cut joints.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES
5
a)
b)

c)
d)
e)
f)

g)

General operation guidelines
All machinery and equipment must be operated in accordance with therelevant user guidelines.
Floor mats should be provided at pedestrian and larege access doors,
appropriate for the application to limit the amount of sand and dirt brought tothe floor area.
Skidding of tires must be eliminated by prohibiting rapid acceleration, braking
and turning with loss of grip of vehicle or truck tyres.
Speed limits should be imposed for trucks: 3 km/h in areas of limited visibility
and used by pedestrians and 6 km/h elsewhere.
Loads should be moved above the floor surface, lifted and deposited exactly
at pre-defined locations. Do not drag any loads on the floors!
Truck batteries must be charged at designated charging points. Spilled
electrolyte must be immediately neutralized and removed from the floor
surface.
Localised damage may occur during normal use of the floor, caused, forexample by falling objects or insufficient protection of the surface during
various production processes or as a result of laying circuits and wires of
inductive wire guidance system (typically wires are laid in chases cut in thefloor surface). Filling of the floor cuts mostly and especially for the purpose of
making induction wires, should be supplemented with hard masses, therecommendation does not refer to expansion joints and those which,according to the individual assessment of the floor contractor, these one
should be filled with flexible masses. The most common types of mechanicaldamage include spalling and chipping of joint edges (caused by shrinkage ofconcrete), damage caused by welding, cutting with angle grinders and otherequipment, impact of tools and materials, scratching and damaging thesurface at joint edges by movement of trucks with hard tyres, hitting by orpallets, foreign matter, etc. It is particularly important to protect dummy joints(sawed shrinkage control joints) and construction ("daily") from edge spalling
and loss of joint sealant due to dragging or pushing pallets or other materials
on the surface, lack of leave-in-place forms at construction joints. result inspalling of joint edges and loss of joint filler. Besides, nails often protrude
under pallets causing imminent scratching and damage to the floor surface.
Any remedial works depend on the size of damage and practicability of repair.

l)During service any oil and grease spillage should be immediately removed
from the surface since smooth finished surface can easily become slipperywith resulting in slip falls or accidents (the surface has no longer any anti-slip
properties). Moreover, oil and grease can penetrate inside the floor leaving
stubborn stains.
Dripping or trickling water or other liquid can erode concrete matrix.
Painted signs and lines may be applied on the surface of industrial floor.
However, before painting make sure that the compound will not cause any
damage to the floor. Manufacturers of floor sealers and hardeners
recommend use of synthetic resin based paints applied in the specified
number of coats on prepared floor surface. Preparation should include
cleaning (degreasing), dulling by light grinding and priming. Before painting
consult the manufacturer of lining materials.
Surfacing layers of epoxy, acrylic or polyurethane resins can be applied on
hardened floor surface subject to appropriate preparation of substrate. Before
each application consult the surfacing system supplier. As arecommendation, adhesion test should be carried out on a small surface
before application of a new surfacing layer.
Space cooling of deep freeze stores can start no sooner than the concreteand topping have reached the 28-day strength. Industrial floor must be driedup and free of moisture (4% max. moisture content) and during service mustnot be flooded with water or other liquids. Cyclic freezing and thawing is notallowed. It is recommended to lower the temperature by 3˚C-5˚C daily to therequired working temperature of the freeze store. Sudden temperaturechanges can cause damage to the floor as described in 2g above.

PERIODIC INSPECTIONS
6
Periodic inspections in the warranty period
In the warranty period the user shall allow the flooring contractor to carry out inspectionsat any time and without any restrictions. The inspection findings are recorded, including
maintenance or repair recommendations if appropriate.

DAY-TO-DAY CLEANING
7

Day-to-day cleaning and maintenance of concrete floors
The main recommendations are given in the Quick Guide to Floor
Maintenance – Day-to-day Cleaning which is Appendix 1 to this document.
b)Industrial floors in production, storage and retail areas are the most exposed
to wearing component of the building and, for this reason, it is critical toobserve the basic principles of operation. The durability of the floor can beaffected by (the list is not exhaustive):- irregular cleaning and untrained cleaning personnel,- sand at entrances accompanied with lack of doormats to trap sand andmoisture from shoes and litter remaining for longer time on the floor surface
including broken glass, wood, metal elements, nails (for example detachedfrom pallets), etc.
- oil, grease, liquid foods, chemicals spilled on the floor surface,- ineffective sweeping before wet cleaning (grains of sand may come underthe machine and scratch the surface),- use of inappropriate chemicals, causing dissolving and weakening of thefloor protective coating and lowering pH,- use of harsh degreasing and highly acidic products,- use of brushes instead of pads, use of too hard pads,- winter maintenance agents brought on the floor on wheels and soles fromroads and other paved areas outside the building.
- harsh driving of vehicles, including trucks, resulting in scuff marks which canbe removed only with special chemicals damaging the surface sealing layer
which has to be replaced after such cleaning.
Surface hardening and sealing makes industrial concrete floor highly resistantto abrasion. Regular cleaning and maintenance schedule should be
implemented as a condition to use the warranty and enjoy problem-free use of
the floor. Maintenance activities should be frequent to increase floor durability.
a)a)Page - 4 - of 7

The following guidelines should be followed to ensure the desired performanceof the floor during service:WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners




















b)

Chemicals, both liquid and powdery, including both organic and mineralacids, even at low concentrations, salts and their solutions, fats, solvents,
alcohols, greases, oils, sugar, vinegar, etc. must be immediately removed
from the surface and neutralized if appropriate,
Keep off any substances causing damage and corrosion to concrete andcorrosion of steel fibres,
After each use or spillage of the above-mentioned chemicals the surface
must be washed with clean warm water,
Note that stains, discolouration and other damage that may appear on thesurface anyway are not covered by the warranty,
Floor mats should be provided at each pedestrian or vehicle access and thefloor should be regularly cleaned and swept to remove foreign matterincluding oil, aggressive chemicals, grains of sand and other aggregates
which may abrade the surface,
hard brushes or pads must not be used in cleaning machines which could
scratch the surface (soft or medium-hard pads should be used, dependingon the degree of soiling),
Day-to-day cleaning is best carried out with sweepers and washingequipment. After wet cleaning the floor should be left to dry up completely.
Solutions of mild detergents specifically designed for maintenance ofconcrete industrial floors should be used for cleaning.
dry-shake topping considerably increases the parameters of the surface
and decreases moisture absorption extending the service life of the floor.
However, note that dry-shake toppings similarly to concrete are cementbound materials which are not resistant to various chemicals.
Thus concrete floors, sealed and hardened with dry-shake toppings cannot
be called chemical resistant. The rule of thumb is to avoid cleaning agentsthat may contain substances causing deterioration and/or corrosion of thecement matrix and reinforcing steel.
This excludes organic solvents (such as acetone, toluene, xylol,
trichloroethylene, etc.). Cleaning agents shall not contain strong alkalis andorganic solvents, even in low concentrations. Acidic cleaning agents,
including any acids must not be used for cleaning the floor, even when
diluted. Moreover, the floor may be affected with salts and salt solutions,chlorides, sulphates and their derivatives. Alcohols and glycols must not be
used as they may also cause damage to the floor surface by weakening
cement structure. The floor structure may be affected also by gaseous
substances, such as elementary chlorine, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide
and oxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen fluoride, as well as oils and fats.
Spilled chemicals and other aggressive substances even if immediately
neutralised and removed from the floor surface can cause discolouration,
stains and in the worst case even pitting in hardened floor surface andwidening of fine cracks. Impregnating sealer must be applied in the area
which came in contact with aggressive agents. Even though surface
hardening and sealing will make industrial concrete floors resistant tochalking, domestic and atmospheric dust and dirt will still accumulate on thesurface.
For maintenance of hardened floors, similarly to all other cement-based
products appropriate washing and cleaning agents must be used, i.e. theconcentrate (base) of the chemical must be neutral or slightly alkaline with 7≤ pH ≤ 10. Floor cleaning agents should also protect the floor (lowering
absorption, prevent lowering of pH, etc.). The technical brochure must beread before application as not all floor cleaning agents are suitable forconcrete floors.

does not cover defects or blemishes due to lack of day-to-day and regular care resulting
in excessive wear, susceptibility to staining, chalking and any other defects.

WARRANTY CLAIM AND REPAIR PROCEDURES
8
Warranty terms and conditions
In the warranty period given in the Contract/ task order the Contractor shall rectify any
defects or flaws under the Contractor's liability (including construction defects, material
flaws, etc.). This section defines the warranty procedure to be followed upon discovering
any flaws and/or defects.
a)
For defects which cannot be rectified the Contractor will reduce the price inproportion to the defect or additional services, if appropriate.
b)
A Defect/ Flaw is considered a Material Flaw/ Defect if it prevents or impairs
normal operation of the floor in accordance with the design and intended
function/operation. Any defects caused by misuse, failure to follow these
instructions, exceeding the design parameters and any other defects not
attributed to the Contractor's fault are not considered material defects.
c)
In order to keep the warranty rights the User shall on the basis of thisdocument and without any further request submit to the flooring contractor
daily, weekly, monthly and yearly floor maintenance program specifying:cleaning technique, cleaning agents and their concentrations, duration ofaction on the floor, type of cleaning equipment, temperature of water.
d)Thorough treatment should be carried out at least once year, twice a year
being the recommended frequency. Irregular cleaning, unskilled personnel,
ineffective sweeping before washing (grains of sand may come under the pador brushes and scratch the surface), as well as use of inadequate cleaners
may significantly increase wearing and deterioration of the floor.
e)Without the floor maintenance program the flooring contactor will not be able
to verify whether it has been used in a correct manner and as such thecontractor will not honour any warranty claims concerning the floor conditionand properties. Damage due to causes described in this section are notcovered by the warranty and any repairs will be priced separately.
f)Moreover the warranty does not include damage caused by accidentalloads and situations including: exceeding the maximum service loads
given in the design, rapid changes of the slab temperature (heating or
cooling, over-drying or freezing), impact loads (dragging heavy loads on thefloor surface or dropping of weights), defects due to inadequate preparationof floor base and soil subgrade (excessive deflections and subsidence ofbase), mine-induced subsidence of soil, action of aggressive chemicals,
accidental situations including fire, interfering with the floor structure by:
cutting fragments of the floor slab, for example to install foundations, joining
the slab with other structural elements, etc.
9Warranty and repair procedures
In order for the warranty claim to be honoured the User shall notify theflooring contractor of the discovered defect/flaw within 14 days from the dateof its occurrence.
b)
The warranty claim notice, including description of the defect and its location
should be forwarded to the following address via registered mail (with thereceipt sent to sender): PAL-GAZ Palacz Sp. z o.o., Sp. k. Przyłęk 25A, 64300 Nowy Tomyśl. Notices sent by electronic mail serwis@palgaz.com.pl will
also be accepted subject to the following conditions:the message must be sent in business days (Mon-Fri) between 8:0015:00 hrs.

the Contractor confirmed the receipt of the message.

notices sent on Saturday, Sunday, public holidays or closed days (forexample working days between public holiday and weekend in which theContractor's office can be closed) will be accepted with the date ofreceipt on the first working day after the closed days.
c)
The flooring Contractor shall, as soon as, possible confirm validity of theclaim specifying the method or repair or agree with the User inspection of thefloor and verification of the notified defect.
d)
The repairs will be carried out according to the repair technique proposed by
the Contractor at the times and within the extent agreed with the User. The
cost of visits unsuccessful due to the User's fault (for example lack of accessto the area of defect, undue notice, defect beyond the Contractor's liability,etc.) will be covered by User.
e)
At repair locations wet cleaning should be stopped at least 3 days in advancebecause dry substrate is critical to the effect and durability of the repair to be
performed. The job site should be made available to the Contractor at times
agreed with the user and the area should be isolated and excluded fromoperation. The user shall provide free access to water and electricity at thejob site location. After repair the slab should be left to rest as required for thetreatment used (to allow curing of repair materials). Note that the areas ofrepair will remain distinguishable on the surface.
f)
The Contractor's warranty for repair becomes invalid if: the User failed tocomply with the above-described requirements, the method of repair was
modified according to the User's requests and material requirements, thematerials supplied for repair by User were defective.
a)

Maintenance of hardened concrete floor should, as a recommendation, include: wet cleaning and maintenance of the surface with a day-to-day cleaning agent,
which helps to maintain good condition of the floor surface by forming aprotective film, which will be removed together with dirt in the next cleaning; thorough cleaning of the floor when heavily stained. After thorough cleaning thesurface should be protected by application of special penetrating sealer (theapplication rate must be sufficient for saturation of the surface) to re-seal thesuperficial layer of the floor. This will restore the desirable properties that havebeen affected by thorough cleaning: reduce absorption of water and oil andfacilitate cleaning.
Note that the main purpose of the sealant applied right after trowelling is to maintainmoisture at a level required for hydration of cement and the film formed by this agent
will gradually wear out during operation. Hence, it is necessary to follow theguidelines of the "Caring for Concrete Floors" section below in order to ensure
durability and sealing and to minimise weakening of the superficial layer.

CARING FOR CONCRETE FLOORS
Caring for concrete floors includes application of penetrating and/ or finishingcompounds designed for use on such floors. The treatments should be carried out by
trained specialists and in the warranty period by the flooring contractor (priced
separately) or by a company recommended by the flooring contractor. In exceptional
cases, subject to Contractor's agreement the floor user can, in order to selectappropriate cleaning and care agents, as well as cleaning method consult a specialist
floor cleaning company or surface hardening manufacturer. However, the outcome ofsuch consultation must be approved by the Contractor before proceeding.
Unskilled contractors or inappropriate agents can not only compromise the desired effectbut can even cause permanent disturbance of the surface layer. In order to avoid thatany such treatment in the warranty period must be consulted with the flooring contractor.
Silicate based agents are recommended and other agents, such as synthetic resins or
hard wax can be used only if accepted by the Contractor. Selection of floor care agent(s)must be based on consultation with the manufacturer (taking into account the type of
initially used sealer) and in consultation with the Contractor. The floor user is obliged tokeep records of used agents and cleaning machines. The frequency of application offloor care agents should depend on the intensity of use and should be higher in moreheavily used areas. The main purposes of floor care carried out by the User is to keep
the premises and floor clean and protect the floor from early wear or even damage
during normal operation. Regular maintenance will improve durability of flooring byincreasing the resistance of the cement matrix to erosion and protecting it from theaction of cleaning agents and any substances that may appear on the floor. Warranty

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
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Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

10a)Page - 5 - of 7

Standard method of repair:
Tight and open cracks should be monitored and action should be taken only
when deterioration of the floor surface has been noted at the crack (edgespalling along the crack). Otherwise no action is required (in particular forcracks of less than 0.5 mm opening). For aesthetic reasons inactive cracks(which do not change over time) may be repaired with an elastic joint sealant.
Cracks which widen up or propagate which may be accompanied withspalling at edges should be repaired by routing the crack and then filling thewidened cut and holes with a resinous patch. If movement of the crack is
expected associated with movement of the adjacent slabs the crack can be"stitched" with steel bars placed across the joint (inserted into pre-drilledholes and adhered with resinous adhesive) as an additional repair measure.

WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardenersd)Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

cracks and holes are sealed when the slabs have stabilised using the abovespecified methods followed by re-sealing the joint.
Surface delamination should be repaired by injecting viscosity epoxy resin is
injected at the interface to re-attach the piece to base as a primary repair
method (the operation may be repeated as many times as required to fill thepocket eliminating hollow sounds). Should this treatment turn to be ineffective
a fragment of floor is cut out at the hollow sound location and reinstated withcement or resinous mortar.
Any departures from the requirements of this document must be set out
in the Contract. Revisions and up-dates to this document can be done inwriting.

Fig. 13 Example of crack repair without bevelling of edges with joint sealantFig. 14 Example of crack repair with bevelling of edges and filling withresinous patchb)

Holes (for example caused by plucked out fibres) and spalls (for example atjoint edges) are repaired generally with cement or resin based patchingcompounds.

Fig. 15 Example of filling a hole created by a plucked out fibre using
resinous patchc)

Faulting of slabs due subsidence or post-compaction of the floor base or
natural curling of the slabs will cause damage to the floor including joint edge
spalling and development of cracks. Defects of this type can be repaired, if
practicable, by injecting cement grout in the pockets under the floor slab. The

Page - 6 - of 7

WARRANTY CERTIFICATE – WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONSUSER'S GUIDE AND PROPERTIES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE FLOORS (V. 2.03)
Industrial concrete floors (with and without sawed joints) hardened with dry-shake toppings or wet-on-wet surface hardeners

Przyłęk 25a, 64-300 NOWY TOMYŚL
www.palgaz.com.pl E-mail: biuro@palgaz.com.pl
Phone: +48 61 44-25-036, Fax. +48 61 44-25-037

Attachment No. 1
Quick Guide to Floor Maintenance (v 1.01)
Day-to-day cleaningThis document is an integral part of the Floor User's Manual which should be referred to for more information on floor operation requirements

Floor cleaning guidelines:
Each time before wet cleaning remove the dust and sweep the area to remove any loosematerial which could scratch the surface during cleaning such as sand, glass, particles
detached from pallets, nails, etc.
The vehicle and pedestrian access areas are most prone to accumulation of dirt and fromthere dirt and sand quickly spreads further and further into the floor area.

1

Make sure that the composition of detergents is appropriate to this type of surface(substances which must not or should not be used are listed in the Floor User's Manual).
The product description should clearly state that it is designated for day-to-day cleaningof concrete surfaces.
Harsh substances can cause damage, even irrecoverable to the floor surface. The cleaner
harshness is generally defined by the description on the container, classifying it as regularor heavy duty cleaner or stripper.
Standard concrete floor care products are diluted in water to 0.5-2% concentration of pH
of 7-9.

2
pH
0-6

3

4

5

7-9

10-14
Check the scrub cleaning material.
For day-to-day cleaning soft pads are recommended (generally in red colour) as harderpads can cause excessive abrasion.
Brushes, even soft, are not recommended for scrub cleaning as they can scratch thesurface.

Cleaning should be done with cleaning machines which collect water thus removing dirt
from the surface. This is different from standard mops which rather than picking dirt
together with detergent solution smear it on the surface and the surface can be slippery
until drying up.
If the surface during and after wet cleaning exhibits (even locally) the following
characteristics:- becomes prone to soiling/ absorption of dirt,- quickly absorbs any water spilled on the surface,it must not be cleaned with standard and accepted methods.
The problem must be reported to supervisor/ warehouse manager. Such behaviour
indicates that abrasion has started on the surface and it has lost its finish which must be
renewed.

The following situations must be avoided:
Spillage of liquids and preparations: most liquids when spilled on the floor surface are both harmful the floor and create a personalsafety hazard. Therefore, any spillages must be immediately removed.
 the following liquids can permanently soil or damage the surface: battery electrolyte (from truck
batteries for example), edible liquids (popular energy drinks and carbonated drinks which are
generally acidic), coffee, oil and grease, alcohols and salts - for example winter maintenance agents
Litter and other solid particles: small particles lying on the floor can abrade the surface under the effect of pedestrian and vehicle
traffic. The moist heavily soiled areas at large and pedestrian doors should be regularly swept andkept clean at all times to minimise spreading the dirt on the floor.
Accidental as well as intentional damaging of the floor surface: concrete floors are not indestructible and can be quite easily damaged: The most common types ofdamage include: scratching by forks and dragging or carrying loads without lifting to sufficient height above
the floor surface, damage and spalls created by falling goods and materials.
Page - 7 - of 7